Exhibition documents life of patriot emperor Ham Nghi

Nhan Dan Online – Around 60 photos and documents surrounding the life of emperor Ham Nghi (1871-1944) went on display in Thua Thien – Hue province on January 14.

 

‘Decline of the Day’, oil painting (1915)
‘Decline of the Day’, oil painting (1915)

The exhibition has been co-organised by the Hue Monuments Conservation Centre and cultural and historical researcher Nguyen Dac Xuan to mark the 70th anniversary of the death of the patriotic Nguyen Dynasty emperor.

The exhibits date from August 1884 when the emperor, whose real name was Nguyen Phuc Ung Lich, came to the throne, to July 1885 when he called upon intellectuals and people to join the Can Vuong (Support the King) movement against the French colonists and for national independence.

The three-year movement failed, with emperor Ham Nghi exiled to Algeria. He died there in 1944 and his body was interred in France.

Works on display at the exhibition also include copies of two paintings entitled ‘Decline of the Day’ and ‘Picture of Countryside’, which he produced during his exile.